Budget, buildings on county strategic planning agenda

Sunday

Nov 18, 2012 at 12:01 AM

By Dennis PelhamDaily Telegram Staff Writer

Filling in details for a broad set of goals ranging from balancing the budget to solving sheriff’s department building needs is the next step in the Lenawee County Commission’s strategic planning process.

Goals were set and prioritized at a special meeting of commissioners and department leaders last month. On Wednesday, the commission voted to assign specific goals to committees and agencies.

Planning for repair or replacement of the sheriff’s department building sparked the only debate at the Wednesday afternoon commission session.

Top-ranked goals are greater use of technology to improve efficiency, balancing the budget without spending reserve funds and creating new revenue and job growth.

Criminal justice committee chairman David Stimpson, R-Tecumseh, objected to a recommendation to create a special committee to draw up a list of options for the sheriff’s department building. The planning assignment was instead given to his committee. Its recommendations are to be passed on to the physical resources committee.

Sheriff Jack Welsh has complained about working conditions for his staff in the deteriorating 60-year-old building. Maintenance and upkeep have been minimal due to expectations of eventually replacing it with a new building.

Architects that designed the new county jail that opened in 2005 advised that renovating the portion of the old building used for sheriff’s offices was impractical and would cost more than a new building.

The sheriff’s department building issue has to be looked at to continue moving the strategic plan in a positive direction, said commissioner Chris Wittenbach, R-Clinton.

“In regards to the sheriff’s department, maybe there isn’t a lot that can be done, maybe there is,” Wittenbach said. But the issue has been put off too long without any decisions being made.

The technology goal was assigned to the information technology committee where Wittenbach is chairman.

A $1.5 million computer system upgrade for county agencies was started this year. Wittenbach said an evaluation process is needed to make sure the new technology is helping agencies deal with staff reductions and to operate more efficiently.

Balancing the county budget was assigned to the personnel/ways and means committee, made up of all nine commissioners. They are to work with the administrator’s office on costs savings.

Administrator Martin Marshall said the technology and cost savings goals are interwoven.

“You didn’t just get votes for computers and software and technology, you got votes for evaluating how we do our procedures,” Marshall said.

Wittenbach said outsiders may be needed to help come up with ideas for change.

Marshall said departments are under pressure to keep up with their normal workload and training during the technology upgrade.

“Sometimes just the daily grind makes it hard to recognize the changes that need to be made,” he said.

Personnel/ways and means was also assigned the goal of creating new revenue. The job creation portion of that goal was assigned to the Lenawee Economic Development Corp.

A total of 19 goals were identified during the October planning session.